Ill admit, I'm a sucker for consoles, and I'll admit even more, I'm a sucker for obscure consoles. The one major difference about the new independently developed consoles this generation is they are getting more spotlight and have way more potential then the stuff we've seen in the past. If you want to stick to the platforms you know you are comfortable with, that's okay. But those thinking that the next gen race is till between Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, you'd be surprised.

I'm not gonna go into depth about the hardware or specs for each device, and really, I only know what the parts do and I'm not even going to pretend like I know which is better which is not what is current or what is hot. Screw That! I want to see the console and I want to know what it can do. Software sells Hardware, not the other way around. Super realistic graphics aren't going to make shit games any better. So lets begin!

Gamestick

The Gamestick is a really interesting device by Playjam; going with the selling point that game consoles are typically big and clunky with wires running all over your entertainment area, and they can provide you with a gaming alternative taking up practically no space at all. As much I love my game consoles I actually think the Gamestick is a neat idea. They really push idea of Indie developers bringing their games to a device that is affordable and easy to use, and at $79 its really affordable.

I cant really say anything positive about its controller, I'm not a fan of the flat-rectangle design, but I guess its a hell of a lot better then a flat-triangle design, which I actually think should be another selling point "Its not a flat triangle". But really, that's nothing more then me being picky as it comes with Bluetooth and has to option to connect to any controller that of course has Bluetooth functionality. I'm not so sure about other controllers that us a USB connection like logitech controllers, but I guess only time will tell.

It has achievements, it has Netflix, it has 8 gigs of storage built right in with the option to add extra storage space through microSD cards if needed, it can display games and movies up to 1080p, wireless charging, super cheap for those who dont have a lot of money to keep up with a PS4 or Xbox One, what is not to like?

Of course, its only competitor will be the Ouya, and that alone might be the thing that sinks this device. The Ouya is unquestionably the more known console between the two and if the Gamestick is going to try to keep afloat its going to need to get its name out there and now.

NVIDIA Shield

Next up is the birth child of the Nintendo DS and the Xbox 360 Controller, but who is the mother? The NVIDIA Shield is basically a portable gaming device for you computer... but wait, that can be a laptop? Okay, okay, so maybe its a portable gaming device for your laptop.... but, I guess that would make it kind of a Tablet? So pretty much what the NVIDIA Shield boils down to a really pimped out gaming tablet, and that's actually pretty cool.

From what I've seen, if you can play it on your computer you can play it on your Shield. I'm not sure about emulations or MMORPGs, but I wouldn't doubt you wouldn't be able to do it down the line. It can stream Netflix, Twitch TV, Hulu and a bunch of other services just like any tablet and most major game consoles. It can stream up to 720p and comes with a 16 gig microSD card with the ability to add more storage, touchscreen, Google Play and Steam.

I wouldn't get this device as a game console or gaming computer alternative, but as a tablet that you would use mostly for games, I think that would be great. I can see plenty of applications being made for it down the line, but mostly what I'd like to see is a price cut. For a brand new device that a lot of people really don't know what it is, I think $350 is a bit high and if you really want people to try out your new product and actually give you a chance to make follow up item I really think it should be in the 200 dollar range.

Piston (Steam Box)

There has been very little information released about the Steam Box other then some hardware details, but without knowing much about I'm already super excited for its release. Obviously its going to be running Steam and you'll be able to download your games and get all the perks and benefits of the Steam Marketplace.

Personally I don't use steam, not because I don't like the service, but other then "Realm of the Mad God" my computer cant run anything they have to offer without crashing. That's not the case for others as most people's computers would literally run laps around my aging laptop.

Knowing that most people are more comfortable with the Steam service right on their computer, the idea of a console dedicated to the service is actually a great idea to me. Most people who don't really keep up with computer hardware (like myself) enjoy having a consoles like Playstation, like Xbox, like Nintendo where we know the games we buy for it are for sure going to run and play well. That isn't always the case for PC gaming, and with the Steam Box you are guaranteed to be able to run everything they have in the marketplace right out of the box. And yeah, the games will still get better and better with higher graphics and will need the more high end parts to run them, and to contradict my view on upgrading parts, the Steam Box will allow you to swap out parts for the newer more power parts as the games evolve.But since Its such a compact little device I feel upgrading will be more of a breeze. Of course you could always just take the time to learn how to upgrade or build your own computer, really, nothing is stopping you.

Ouya

Lastly we have the more mainstream of the lot, the Ouya. Ouya is pushing the Indie Developer Market and to me and I'm sure a lot of you out there who are interesting in Game Development, this thing is freaking brilliant.

Don't have time to jump through hoops to get your game on in the marketplace of the big three? Put it on the Ouya, get feedback, if its successful then maybe jump through those hoops if you wish. The Indie market is growing larger and larger every day, more Indie games are blowing AAA titles right out of the water, look at IGN's Top Games, when this blog is publish the top game out will be Fez, and that's not the first time its been there. Hopefully, the Ouya Marketplace will get large enough where you could easily keep your game on just the Ouya and make a profit, who knows you might even create the next Mario like franchise on this fresh platform.

There are currently over 400 titles ready to play when the Ouya launches, HD, Bluetooth, 8 gigs of memory with upgradable storage, Onlive, Twitch TV, $100 at launch, modding is acceptable and encouraged, game emulation, cheap, easy to use, Indie Developer friendly. I love it.

If you are an aspiring Indie Developer and you aren't excited about the Ouya, I don't know what more you want. I do have this Orange Crush Soda you can have.

This portion of the blog brought to you by Orange Crush!

The only negative thing I can say about the Ouya is that its controller runs on AA batteries, which is the one thing I hate about the Wii Mote and the 360 controller. I want to be able to have a chargeable controller in the future, but that might only come true if the console is successful, so we will see.

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That about wraps it up. I wanted to talk about the Razor Edge and GamePop, but I really haven't read anything in depth about them and since the Razor Edge is mostly tablet I wanted to draw the line somewhere and keep it console like items, even though the NVIDIA is clearly a handheld. Maybe when these and the main console are all released and I can get more info on them ill do a follow up post and see where they are in about a years time.

For those who still dont like these devices and want to stick to what you love that's okay, I just wanted to talk about these for a bit and get a little informed about them. And you never know, one of these could be knocking down any of the main consoles doors in the near future. Thanks for reading. Orange Crush!